Liquid-level indicator.



umm. LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.1914.

.Il QQIQ Paume@ FQI). 26, 19m

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GEORGE B. FURMAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR T0 L. O. KOVENda BROTHER, .A FIRM COMFOSED OF LUDOLPHO. KOVEN AND GUSTAVE H.lIOV'Erhl',`

or nnw Yoan, n. Y.

LIQUID-LEVEL lNlDICATOlB..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 6. 1914. Serial No. 843,367.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that l, GEORGE B. FURMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of East Urange, Essex county, and State of New Jersey,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Liquid-Levelindicators, of which the Yfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to indicating devices for liquids and has for itsobject to provide a device of this type which is simple in constructionand easily applied to a tank or other receptacle and which willaccurately indicate the quantity of liquid contained in said receptacleor periodically withdrawn therefrom. A further objectof my improvementis to so construct the device as to permit the receptacle to be readilyfilled and the liquid to be easily withdrawn therefrom in desiredquantities without the necessity for any special manipulation of saiddevice. My invention will be fully described hereinafter and thefeatures of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate aspecific example of my improvement and' in which.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my device in positionin the receptacle aportion of the latter being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view and Fig. 4 isaphorizontal section onthe line Pi of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings 5 is a casing or hood of any suitablematerial screwthreaded at 6 for detachable connection with a tank orother receptacle 7 inwhich any liquid may be contained, the said casingor 'hood 5 when in operative position opening into the said tank orreceptacle 7. A plurality of guide rods 8 depend from said casing 5 intothe tank and are arranged in spaced and parallel relation to each otherwith their lower ends secured toa plate 9, 'the said rods being of suchlength as to position the said plate 9 in close proximity to the bottomof the tank or other receptacle 7. A preferably Hat tape 10 of flexiblemetal or other suitable material has its opposite ends connected with afloat 11 of any desired construction slidably mounted between the rods8, the said tape at thebottom passing through an opening 12 in the plate9 and over a curved guiding surface 13 forming part of or secured to thesaid plate. At the top the tape passes over rollers 14C spaced from eachother and journaled in the casing 5 whereby a portion of the tape at alltimes extends in a horizontal direction in said casing 5 and the onesurface of said tape is thus exposed upwardly .during its travel throughsaid casing. As shown in the illustration the rollers 14 .are journaledin the walls of valve chambers l5 and 16,v

said chambers containing ball valves 17 and 18 respectively and providedwith apertures 19 and 20 which connect said chambers with the interiorof the casing 5 and consequently with said tank or other receptacle 7.As is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the aperture 19 is in thebottom wall of the chamber 15 below the valve 17 while the aperture 2Ois located in the inside wall of the chamber 16 substantially above thevalve 18. An opening 21 extends through the casing 5 and establishescommunication between the chamber 15 and the atmosphere as clearly shownin Fig. 2. The chamber 16 is further provided in its bottom wall with anopening 22 llocated below the valve 18 and communicating with a chamber23 which has no communication with the interior of the casing 5 or withthe tank or other receptacle 7, but is connected with the yatmosphere bymeans of an opening 24 extending through the casing 5 as is .alsoclearly shown. in Fig. 2. `When the valves 17 and 18 are in their normalclosed positions the interior of the casing 5 represents an air-tightchamber in which the tape 10 travels. With this arrangement the tank 7is sealed excepting during the periodical operation of said valvesduring filling of the tank or while withdrawing liquid therefrom so thatevaporation of the contents of said' tank is reduced to a minimum. Theupper or exposed end of the casing 5 is preferably composed of a plate25 of glass or other transparent material beneath which the tape 10passes in a path parallel therewith and through which plate the onesurface of the tape is thus visible. is secured in position in anysuitable manner as byvmeans of a ring 26 adapted forv rll`he said plate25 measurement such as for instance quarts pints and the like, one ormore designations 10h being provided if desired within the casing 5 forcoperation with the indications 10a, as will be more fully describedhereinafter. The designations 10b may be located at any suitable andproper points within the casing 5 and may be omitted if preferred, theoperation in this latter case being also clearly set forth further on inthe description. It will, of course, be understood that the tank orother receptacle with which the device is combined may be provided witha suitable filling aperture and closure therefor and with suitabletapping means as a faucet or the like through which the liquid may bewithdrawn.

When the--tank or other receptacle 7 is empty or substantially so, thefloat 11 will be located at or near the bottom thereof as shown in thedrawings and the zero mark on the tape 10 when viewed through the plate25 will be opposite or approximately in line with the designations 10bif these are used or otherwise will be at or substantially at the axialcenter of the'casing or hood 5 thus indicating that the said tank orother receptacle is empty or nearly so. As liquid is introduced into thetank o r receptacle 7 through the filling opening or otherwise the float11 will gradually 'rise between the rods 8 as the quantity of liquid in'the tank increases and the tape 10 will be carried along thereby andmoved over the surface 13 and rollers 14. The indications 10a in thismanner are successively moved beneath the transparent plate 25 so thatthe rise ofthe liquid in the tank may be accurately ascer-I tained byobserving said indications through said plate 25 and the supply cutoli'` when the capacity ofthe tank has been reached or the desiredamount has been introduced into same.' As the quantity of liquid in thetank gradually increases the pressure of the air therein above the saidliquid will raise the valve 17 from the aperture 19 and thus per,

mit said air to escape into the atmosphere through the opening 21whereby interruption of the lling action which otherwise would takeplace is prevented. At the same time the air pressure above mentionedwill 'be exerted above the valve 18 through the lopening 20 and willpress said valve 18 firmly upon its seat to close the opening 22. As theliquid is withdrawn either entlrely or periodically in predeterminedquantities the float 11 will gradually drop as the liquid flows outthrough the faucet or other tapping device and the tape 10 will again becarried along over the surface 13 and rollers 14- this time in thereverse direction, the indications 10a as beforepassing beneath andparallel to the plate 25 and being visible therethrough. The travel ofthe tape 10 and the progress of the said indications may thus beaccurately noted and the quantity of liquid which is being withdrawn mayin consequence be accurately determined. 1f the said indications 10a forinstance designate quarts and divisions thereof the quantity of liquidwhich is passing out of said tank may be accurately measured in theseunits of measurement by simply irst noting the particular indicationlOwhich is opposite the designation 10b or at the axial center of thecasing 5 when the liquid starts to iow out of the tank and then keepingtrack of the indications 10a as they pass beneath the plate 25. Thus ifit is desired to Withdraw two quarts of liquid at a given time and thetape 10 stands with the indicating member l1 on the surface thereofopposite the designations 10b or the axialv center of the casing 5 whenthe liquid starts to iiow out, the flow is simply permitted to continueuntil the ina predetermined quantity of liquid less than the capacity ofthe tank into the same, this may be done by simply noting theindications 10a as they pass beneath the plate 25 and discontinuing thelilling operation when the indications 10u designating the predeterminedquantity reaches the axial center` of the casing 5. The ioat 11 will atall times follow the liquid as the level thereof risesor falls and willmove the tape 10 correspondingly so that the condition of the contentsof the tank as to quantity may at all times be quickly noted. The guiderods 8 serve to guide said fioat during its actua* tion by the liquidand at all times maintain it in a constant path, thus preventing thetape 10 from becoming twisted or otherwise injured or disarranged.

As the level of the liquid drops during the withdrawing operation, airwill enter the chamber 23 through the opening 24 and will lift the valve18 from the opening 22 and pass into the casing 5 and tank 7 through theaperture 20 and thus destroy any vacuum which tends to form in said tankas the said liquid flows out of the same. time the valve 17 will befirmly maintained At the same memes a over the opening 19. lt is thusimpossible for a vacuum to be created in the tank which vacuum ifpermitted to form would finallyarrest the outow of the liquid whichoutiiovv in consequence is continuous and even until the tapping deviceis closed or shut ofi'.

The tank or other receptacle after being filled may thus be normallymaintained in a sealed condition to prevent evaporation of the liquidtherein or access thereto of any substance injurious or dangerous tosaid liquid. Any kind of liquids including those of an inflammable orexplosive nature may thus be safely contained in said tank and may beintroduced or withdrawn therefrom with a maximum of safety and with amini mum of edorte It will of course be understood that other ytypes ofvalves may besubstituted for the valves 17 and 18 and also that thesurface 13 may be replaced by other types of guiding means if thisshould be desired.

My improvement thus provides a simple and edective means. which may bereadily combined with any type of tank or other liquid receptacle and,by means of which .the amount of liquid in the tank at any time may bequickly and accurately noted, while the quantity of liquid filled in/o'rwithdrawn therefrom may be readily and accurately measured at all times,so that my'invention in addition to being an indicating device may alsobe used as a measuring device.

Various changes in the specic form shown and described may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a receptacle for liquids, a casing extendingexteriorly of said receptacle and connected therewith, said casinghaving a transparent end face, spaced guide rollers journaled in saidcasing, rods extending from said casing into said recep-I tacle, guidingmeans at the inner ends of said rods, afloat controlled by said liquidand movable between said rods, a tape connected with said float andmovable thereby over said guide rollers and guiding means and acrosssaid transparent end face, said tape having indications successivelyvisible through said transparent end face as said float is moved wherebythe quantity of liquid in said receptacle or withdrawn therefrom isindicated.

2. The combination of a receptacle dfor liquids, a casing extendingexteriorly of said receptacle and connected therewith, said casinghaving a transparent end face, spaced guide rollers journaled in saidcasing, rods extending from said casing into said receptacle, guidingmeans at the inner ends of said rods in the direction of their lengths,a ioat controlled by said liquid and movable between said rods, a tapecon- Hoat is moved whereby the quantity of liquidin said receptacle orwithdrawn therefrom is indicated and valves in said casing forautomatically permitting air to escape from said receptacle as liquid isintroduced into same and for admitting air to said receptacle as liquidis withdrawn therefrom.

3. The combination of a receptacle, a rigid support detachably connectedwith said receptacle and extending into same, guiding means' located atspaced intervals on said support, a float movable on said supportbetween said guiding means and an indicating tape passing over saidguiding mea-ns and having its opposite ends connected with said float,said support, guiding means, float and tape being movable as a unit.

4. rlhe combination of a receptacle, a casing connected therewith toform a normally air tight'chamber. and having a transparent horizontalend face, spaced guiding means in said casing beneath said transparentend face, an indicating tape movable in said air tight chamber over saidspaced guiding means in a linear direction and in parallel relation tosaid end face and visible therethrough and a fioat in said receptacleconnected with said tape and adapted to move same over said guidingmeans whereby the quantity of liquid in said receptacle or Withdrawntherefrom is visibly indicated..

5. The combination of a receptacle, a tubular casing detachablyconnected therewith and having a transparent endy face, a rigid frameextending from said casing into said receptacle, a palr of guide rollersjournaled in said casing in spaced relation to each other and beneathsaid transparent end face, guiding means at the free end of said rigidframe, an indicating tape passingv over said guiding means and over saidguide rollers in parallel relation to said end face and visibletherethrough, and a iioat movable on f said frame and connected with theopposite ends of said tape and adapted to move the latter over saidguide rollers whereby' the quantity of liquid in said receptacle orwithdrawn therefrom is visibly indicated.

6. The combination of a receptacle, a tubular casing detachablyconnected therewith and having a transparent end face, a rigid frameextending from said caslng into said receptacle, a pair of guide rollersjournaled in said casing in spaced relation to each other and beneathsaid transparent end face, guiding means at the free end of said rigidframe, an indicating tape passing over said guiding means and over saidguide rollers in parallel relation to said end face, said tape beingprovided with indications suclas' Y dat.

cessively visible through said end face, In testimony whereof I havehereunto set means 1n said casing adapted to coperate my hand in thepresence of tWo subscribing with said indications whereby the quantityWitnesses.

of liquid in said receptacle or Withdrawn therefrom is indicated, andafloat connected with said tape and controlled by said liquid and adaptedto actuate said tape.

GEORGE B. FURMAN. Witnesses JOHN A. KEHLENBECK, FRED A. KLEIN.

